アンテロープキャニオン（Antelope Canyon）は、アメリカ合衆国アリゾナ州北部ペイジ市そばのナバホ族居留地内にある細く深い峡谷です。長年にわたる鉄砲水と風による浸食で、砂岩が波打つような曲線を描き、差し込む光が柱のように筋になって地面に到達します。光の柱が最も現れやすいのは、主に春～夏、晴天日の正午前後です。
人気が高い観光地で、主にアッパー・アンテロープキャニオンと、ロウアー・アンテロープキャニオンの２区画に分かれています。安全管理と保護のため、見学は原則としてナバホ族公認ガイド同行のツアーに限られます。
見た目は静かでも、上流の降雨で急激に増水するため、雨天時は閉鎖されることがあります。１９９７年８月１２日にロウアー・アンテロープキャニオンで激しい鉄砲水が発生し、１１人の観光客が亡くなり、ガイド一名のみが生き残った事故があったそうです。２０２５年４月に友人とロウアーキャニオンを訪問しました。
出発までの時間はナバホ族の方のショーを見て待ちます。出発時刻になると約１５名にガイドが一名つき、キャニオンに歩いて向かいます。階段で下り、キャニオンの底につき、歩き始めます。最初はみんな写真をとりまくり、混雑していました。キャニオンの底をゆっくり１時間ほど歩き、陸上に出て終了です。別れ際にガイドさんが土と水を使って成り立ちを教えてくれました。
Antelope Canyon is a narrow and deep slot canyon located within the Navajo Nation near the city of Page in northern Arizona, United States. Over many years, flash floods and wind erosion have carved the sandstone into smooth, wave-like curves, and beams of sunlight stream down through the narrow openings above, forming pillar-like shafts of light that reach the canyon floor. These light beams are most likely to appear around midday on clear days, mainly from spring through summer. It is a very popular tourist destination and is primarily divided into two sections: Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. For safety management and preservation, visits are generally limited to guided tours accompanied by Navajo Nation–certified guides. Although the canyon may appear calm, it can rapidly flood due to rainfall upstream, and it is sometimes closed during rainy weather. On August 12, 1997, a severe flash flood occurred in Lower Antelope Canyon, resulting in the deaths of 11 tourists, with only one guide surviving. In April 2025, I visited Lower Antelope Canyon with a friend. Before departure, we waited while watching a performance by members of the Navajo Nation. When it was time to leave, a group of about 15 people was led by one guide, and we walked to the canyon entrance. We descended by stairs, reached the canyon floor, and began walking through it. At first, everyone was busy taking photos, and the area was quite crowded. We slowly walked along the canyon floor for about an hour, then exited back to ground level to finish the tour. At the end, the guide explained how the canyon was formed using sand and water.
